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My nephew cooked the Thanksgiving turkey this year. It was so delicious and juicy, I decided to transport the carcass all the way to Florida (where my family gathered for a reunion) to make turkey gumbo.

Cooking in a rented condo at the beach is always an adventure…cheap pots and pans, dull knives, odd electric stoves can conspire to sap the will of the cook. Thankfully, gumbo is an accomodating dish. It easily forgives a shortcut or two, and it is infinitely adaptable to the (lack of) ingredients on hand.

To make turkey gumbo, boil the turkey frame until the meat slips from the bones. Remove the bones from the liquid, cool a little, and strip off all meat. Continue to boil the turkey stock. Make a roux (I used the microwave, and burned the first one to a crisp), brown thoroughly chopped onions & sliced andouille in a big pot, then add chopped celery and bell pepper and the hot roux. Cook until the veggies wilt a little. Ladle in the turkey stock, adding chopped garlic, a bay leaf or two, some black pepper, cayenne, lemon juice, and a little salt. Cook at a low boil for at least 1/2 hour, or until the gumbo is thickened and no longer foaming. Add the shredded meat to the pot, along with chopped fresh parsley and green onions. Cook 5-10 minutes longer, and serve to your favorite people over hot rice.

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3 thoughts on “Turkey gumbo”

We took our andouille up to Pennsylvania and made gumbo for my folks last Friday. My clothes smelled like smoked pork the whole trip from the sausage traveling in the same bag. Luckily we had the benefit of cooking in my mom’s kitchen, and the gumbo was a big hit. It’t great to share the love!